Our Credit Card made the Dean's List!

Credit Card Connection is a not-for-profit effort organized to connect consumers directly to the most fair and ethical credit card programs in the country - the type of cards all consumers deserve to have. To be included on Credit Card Connection's Dean's List, the credit card program has to earn 5 stars:

1. Rates cannot exceed 18% APR.
2. No balance transfer fees.
3. No penalty rate.
4. Late fees at or less than $25.00.
5. No annual fee.

Northwest Resource's credit card made the grade! Learn more about our credit card program and make the switch to a fair and ethical credit card. Plus, you'll even earn rewards!

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Save on TurboTax Federal Deluxe and Get Your Maximum Refund Guaranteed!

As a Northwest Resource member, it’s easy to keep more money in your pocket at tax time. With TurboTax your maximum tax refund is guaranteed and you can now get a special discount on TurboTax Federal Deluxe. File today with TurboTax and get your biggest tax refund possible in as few as 8 days when you e-file and use direct deposit. Get started FREE!

With TurboTax it’s easy:

• Special guidance for first time users. TurboTax walks you step-by-step through your entire tax return with guidance designed for people new to tax software.
• All the help you need. If you have questions TurboTax makes it easy to get all the answers.
• Maximum refund guaranteed or your money back.

Don’t miss out on this discount on TurboTax - You don’t pay unless you’re satisfied with the results.

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2010 Marks Our 75th Anniversary!
It also marks 75 years of service to members.

Seventy-five years ago, in 1935, our nation was deep in the grip of the Great Depression. Wall Street was still a long way from recovering from the crash of 1929, banks had continued to fail in large numbers, and unemployment remained over 20%. The worst was over, though, and by 1935 the economic recovery had finally begun. In Portland, our credit union was born—the fifth oldest credit union in Oregon.

Gasco Employees’ Federal Credit Union was chartered on October 15, 1935. Eleven employees of the Portland Gas and Coke Company pooled their money in the new not-for-profit financial cooperative. The purpose of the credit union was to provide a safe place for fellow gas company employees to save and borrow money at reasonable rates.

The maximum loan amount in 1935 was $50 for an unsecured loan and $100 for secured. The interest rate was 1% per month on the unpaid balance. Money went further then. The average cost of a new house was $3,450. Average wages were $1,600 per year. Gas cost 10 cents a gallon.

In those days, ordinary people had great difficulty in getting a loan from a bank, so the credit union was just what many members needed to make their way through difficult economic times. Seventy-five years later, the wheel has turned full circle. We are again mired in an economic recession, and as before, Northwest Resource is where members can turn for low cost loans, federally insured savings, and other essential financial services.

This steadfastness can be directly credited to you, our members. Your participation in our cooperative through the years has allowed us to provide members with the services they‘ve needed through good times and through bad. That remains true today, and with your continued participation, will remain true for generations to come. We truly are “all in this together,” and the board and staff thank you for your support.

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It's our birthday, but you get the presents.
Send us a new member and we'll present you each
with 750 Resource Rewards points.

In celebration of our 75th Anniversary, we will award 750 Resource Rewards points for each new member you refer to the credit union. The new member will also receive 750 Resource Rewards points.

The more members we have, the stronger our financial cooperative becomes—and that translates into better rates and more free or low cost services for all.

Why not tell your coworkers, friends, and relatives that Northwest Resource is a good
deal—and that they can join! It will be “a rewarding experience” for both of you! Just make sure they give us your name when they join so you will each get 750 Resource Rewards points!*

*New member must qualify for membership and open account.

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People Helping People: Northwest Resource's Haiti Response Fundraiser

Please help us raise money for Mercy Corps' response to the Haiti Earthquake.

Credit unions live by the motto of "People Helping People." This is an opportunity for you to give to MercyCorps directly. This is an amazing organization that is one of the first responders to natural disasters all over the world. MercyCorps is based right here in downtown Portland.

As international relief efforts continue in Haiti, a Mercy Corps earthquake response team is in Port-au-Prince responding to urgent needs.Your donation will help families in Haiti recover from the most powerful quake to hit the country in more than 200 years.

Mercy Corps relief workers are focusing first on the immediate needs -- for water, food, temporary shelter supplies and much more -- and expanding their work to three areas: clean water, post-trauma support for children and job creation.

Donate Here and Support Mercy Corp's Haiti Response

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Scholarship Opportunities

The Northwest Resource Federal Credit Union Scholarship program is now open for applications through March 31, 2010. Each year, we award a $1,000 scholarship to a primary member who is working toward a degree at any accredited two- or four-year college or university. Print the application and complete details (PDF).

Here are more scholarship opportunities for members of Oregon credit unions:

• CUAO Financial Literacy Scholarship
• Lois M. Hartley Benefit Scholarship

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Access wherever you are

Enjoy Surcharge-Free Access at 28,000 CO-OP Network ATMs.
As a member of Northwest Resource, you are part of the largest credit union-only ATM network in the country. That means you have surcharge-free access at 28,000 ATMs (that’s 10,000 more than Bank of America’s 18,000), which includes 9,000 deposit-taking and 5,500 7-Eleven locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. You also have access to over 800,000 ATMs worldwide through NYCE, STAR, Cirrus, Pulse, and Plus networks.

Find the CO-OP ATM near you. You can also locate a CO-OP ATM via text message. Text your location – address, intersection or zip code – to 692667 (MYCOOP) from any mobile phone.

Handle transactions at over 3,600 Shared Branches.
As part of the Shared Branch network, you can handle most of your Northwest Resource transactions at over 3,600 participating credit union branches nationwide. You can go into any of these “shared branches” and do your transactions with a teller. There is no fee for making a deposit, cashing a check, or most other services. You just need a photo I.D. and your Northwest Resource account number.

There are 79 Shared Branches in Oregon, so there may be a location more convenient to you. Find a Shared Branch near you. Or call us at 503-220-2592 and we can help you find a convenient location.

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The Credit Card Act of 2009

In May, 2009,  the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act became law. This Act protects consumers by requiring lenders to provide them with clear, transparent, and easy to understand terms and conditions for all credit cards and open-end loans. The Act has three phases and must be completed by August 2010.

The First Phase will affect our Visa Credit Card program in two ways, as outlined in the chart below:

This Act  may also require us to make changes to the due dates of all open-end loans in the near future.  We will  provide you with more information as soon as we have it.

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Get a Save & Spend Piggy Bank

Help teach your children about money management by opening an account in their name at Northwest Resource. When you open a new account or an Easy Saver Certificate for your child, you'll receive this Spend and Save Piggy Bank. We're also selling the piggy banks for $10 each to benefit Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

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Save Today. Drive Tomorrow.

Planning ahead is smart. So smart, in fact, that when you start building the down payment for your next car purchase, Northwest Resource is going to reward your forethought. We call it the Auto Save Program.

Here’s how it works: Open a Money Builder Add-On Certificate and make automatic monthly deposits of at least $100. When you do, we’ll make sure you earn 1.26% APY* on every penny. Then, when you’re ready to buy, you’ll have a nice down payment all saved up – funds you can use penalty-free on that new car, truck, SUV or minivan. Whatever it is that tickles your fancy.

There’s more. Finance that new vehicle with us and we’ll knock 1% APR off your qualified Northwest Resource auto loan rate**. Just use the Auto Save Program funds for your down payment.

Start Saving Today. Open your Auto Save Program account in person or over the phone at 503-220-2592.

Auto Save Program

• Save $100 or more per month toward your vehicle
• Earn 1.26% APY* on your deposits
• Use the money penalty-free for your down payment
• Reduce your qualified auto loan rate by 1% APR**

*Annual Percentage Yield over a 12-month term as of 11/1/09. Subject to change.
**Requires automatic payment from a NRFCU checking account. You must save for at least 6 months to qualify for the Auto Save Program loan rate discount. No other rate discounts apply (Resource Rewards or Green Auto).

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